A mismatched serial number bill has two printed serial numbers that do not agree. Compare both numbers on the same note. A star note can have this error too.
The photo shows an ordinary bill, not a mismatched-serial-number example.
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Ordinary Series 2013 $10 bill, not an error example. Photo: Engin Akyurt / Pexels.
Read each letter and digit in both serial numbers. One different character can matter. Do not compare the serial with a small plate number or another bill's serial.
Made-up reading example: A12345678B and A12345679B differ in the last digit. This is text for practice, not a pictured note or a sale record.
A repeating pattern that matches in both places is a different subject. So are numbers that match but sit in the wrong position. That is a possible shifted overprint, not a mismatch by itself.
On a Federal Reserve replacement note, the star identifies its replacement status. It does not make the note a printing error. A genuine mismatch is a separate mistake: the two serial numbers on that same bill disagree.
Both features can occur together. The Series 1950A $10 star note listed below is a documented example. Do not assume every note with a star has the same error or value.
Some older note designs use decorative stars. Identify the note type before treating a star as a replacement mark.
These are past sales of two specific notes. They are not a current price range or CoinHub offers. The denomination, issue, error and condition differ. Keep the full grade with each result; PMG's EPQ qualifier describes paper quality.
A numbering unit can fail to advance, or the numbering sequence can be set incorrectly. The position of a wrong digit alone does not prove which problem occurred.
Write down the denomination, series and both full serial numbers. Photograph both sides. Keep the note as found; do not wash, press or alter it. These clues describe a possible error. They do not authenticate a note or assign its grade.
For more short examples, return to the $5 bill error list or $10 bill error list.
